Valentine's Day dates on Longboat for every couple

A romantic day in paradise sounds like a dream — and for couples on Longboat Key, that dream can come true most days of the year. But on Valentine’s Day, you’ve got to up your game. We’ve got ideas for several kinds of couples, so take a look, make your plans and enjoy a day of romance. And if all else fails or these couple types don’t ring true, you’re still a Longboat couple — head to the beach for sunset. 

For the adventurous couple: Take a boat trip 

Longboat Key residents Mike and Sue Ann Ciccone’s dates often revolve around happy hour or the high seas. What’s more romantic than a boat, your partner and a sunset? The pair will pack up lunches (from Publix, of course, Sue Ann said) and head out to Beer Can Island. Sometimes they’re with friends, but sometimes they go by themselves and enjoy each other’s company. 

Don't own a boat? Kayaks or paddleboards are boats, too, you know. And they're much easier to rent than a powerboat if you're not experienced in things nautical. Pack lunch, sip a drink and don’t forget to look so deeply into each other’s eyes that you forget to watch the sunset. 

As for the Ciccones, Mike is working on Valentine’s Day, so they’ll celebrate another time, including in April by embarking on a boat of a different caliber for an anniversary cruise. But of course, Sue Ann will still get flowers — she prefers orchids, rather than classic roses. 

For the traditional couple: Have dinner at a nice restaurant

Google “romantic restaurant Longboat Key” and just about every spot on the island comes up, such as Euphemia Haye, Lazy Lobster, Dry Dock, La Norma and Shore. No couple can go wrong with dinner for two, and a little collaboration and menu research before heading out will ensure the perfect experience. Seafood savants will find their favorites at Lazy Lobster, Dry Dock, Chart House and Shore, while the hardcore romantics might fall for the twinkling lights at Euphemia Haye. Make sure you have reservations beforehand, or you’ll end up hungry and floundering on V-Day. 

With a dinner date on Valentine’s Day, why not go the whole nine yards? Put on a nice outfit, greet your girl with flowers and pick her up at the door like it’s your first date. Romance each other — it won’t be easier than at a dinner for two, Longboat Key style. 

For the quiet couple: Read their mind

If you’re the type of couple who says it all by saying nothing at all, try a reading date for Valentine’s Day. Longboat Library volunteer and avid reader Anne Roberts said she and her late husband always got each other books for holidays, because they were both bookworms and knew what the other liked. 

For your bibliophile beau, plan a date to the Longboat Library and see you well you can pick out their next great read. Rather than doing the whole song-and-dance of a dinner date, make a nice meal at home before settling into your favorite spots and reading each other’s books. 

For the sporty couple: Find love on the court

Ron Shields and Brenda Terihay are both tennis players, but they don’t take their love to the court — Terihay insists she couldn’t keep up with former Longboat Key Public Tennis Center pro Shields. 

“We are very competitive,” Terihay said. “One thing we haven’t done that I’ll win is ping-pong.” 

They do play putt-putt, which Terihay wins more often. The pair met through tennis after mutual friends insisted they had to meet, and they’ll be getting married on Feb. 22. 

If one of you isn’t a top-notch tennis pro for a living, you might find “love” on the tennis court. Terihay and Shields say several of their couple friends who are more evenly matched play doubles or singles against each other. Just not with them, because no one wants Shields and Terihay on the same deadly team. 

If you’re the sporty types, link up with another couple and battle for courtship champions; or if you’ve got a running mental tally on everything either of you has won during your relationship, duke it out against each other. Even if you lose singles, you’ll still be a couple. 

For the outdoorsy couple: Have a picnic at Joan M. Durante Park 

What better spot for a romantic picnic than a park that one man named for his beloved wife? Philanthropist James Durante donated money to the town for the park and named it after his late wife, Joan, who was very outdoorsy by all accounts. Pack a picnic or grab food from Harry’s Continental Kitchens nearby and take a walk to the gazebo in the park. You’ll have to bring your own table, but you and your sweetheart will get some quality time alone with you and the trees. After your picnic, walk to the magnolia tree planted in honor of Joan or back to a bench with a view of the bay.